Automatic feeding and ordering device for cigarettes or the like



G. GIANESE Oct. 6, 1970 AUTOMATIC FEEDING AND ORDERING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTES OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1968 Oct. 6, 1970 a. GIANESE 3,531,911

' AUTOMATIC FEEDING AND ORDERING DEVICE FOR GIGARETTES OR THE LIKE Filed June 4, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 6, 1970 ca. GIANESE 3,531,911

AUTOMATIC FEEDING AND ORDERING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTES OR THE LIKE Filed June 4, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IXVENTOR.

GOFFRED O G/ANESE G. GIANESE 3,531,911

AUTOMATIC FEEDING AND ORDERING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTES OR THE LIKE Oct. 6, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed June 4, 1968 K 65 72 a amF -i my! cs1 GIANESE 3,531,911

AUTOMATIC FEEDING AND ORDERING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTES OR'THE LIKE Oct. 6, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 4, 1968 \I' V \\\\\\\M 3 a a n n a a u n u u n u u m I INVENTOR. GOFFREDO G/ANESE BY r US. Cl. 53-151 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A packaging machine comprising an endless conveyor having a plurality of successive containers for receiving rod-like articles. Means for feeding a predetermined number of rod-like articles to the container from a feeder as the conveyor moves. Particularly shown is a feeding and ordering device for delivery of articles to the container.

The present invention relates to packaging machines for rod-like articles and, in particular, for cigarette packing machines.

In copending application, Ser. No. 734,372 filed June 4, 1968, based on Italian application 7068 A/67, filed June 12, 1967, there is disclosed a packaging machine comprising an endless articulated conveyor having a plurality of successive containers, each designed to receive a neatly arranged group of rod-like articles, such as cigarettes, to be packed. Each container consists substantially of a box which is open on the external side, that is, opposite to the conveyor, and has one or more compartments each capable of containing a stack of superimposed articles, parallel to the bottom of said box.

Articles are fed to the containers from a hopper which extends along a section of the conveyor and which comprises a plurality of successive distributing channels, each capable of containing a stack of superimposed cigarettes. When a container passes the successive distributing channels, one cigarette at a time is transferred into the container, filling it progressively until the preset number of cigarettes is reached. When the container comprises two or more compartments, these are filled in succession by a corresponding group of distributing channels. The cigarettes are introduced into the containers by means of an automatic feeding and ordering device which actually deposits them in the container.

It is the prime object of the present invention to provide a novel feeding and ordering device for filling the containers and, in particular, provides means for removing articles from the individual distributing channels of the hopper, as well as means for obtaining the successive filling of the various compartments of each container.

The present invention has as another objective the provision of a feeding and ordering device which will operate efiiciently and effectively at extremely high speeds without damage to the article which it is handling.

These and other features of the invention and the resulting advantages may be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment, illustrated with reference to the packing of cigarettes as a nonrestrictive example in the attached drawings wherein:

FIGS. la and 1b show an elevational view of a cigarette feeding and ordering device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged scale a portion of the device according to FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show an elevation and partially sectional view of the upper part of a container with the respective cigarette picking device in three successive phases;

- ted States Patent 0 'ice FIG. 6 is a top view of the picking device of a container with a sectional view of some parts;

FIG. 7 shows a vertical and transversal container according to the line VIIVII of FIG. 6.

With reference to the figures, numeral 1 indicates an endless articulated conveyor consisting of a plurality of individual elements 101 articulated serially with each other by a plurality of couplings 201. Fastened to each element is a container 8 adapted to receive a neatly arranged group of cigarettes S. As illustrated in the aforementioned application, each container 8 consists of a box, open on the external side, that is, opposite to conveyor 1 and on its. lateral sides. The box is subdivided by two partitions 51 into three compartments 108, 208, 308, each capable of containing a stack of superimposed cigarettes S, parallel to the bottom of the box and transverse to the conveyor. In the embodiment here illustrated, the middle compartment 208 is to be filled with nine superimposed cigarettes while the other two compartments 108 and 308 are to receive, respectively, eight superimposed cigarettes. It will be appreciated that the number of articles desired may be varied and that this number is not to be taken as either critical or even desirable.

Each compartment 108, 208, 308, of each container 8, has an elevator floor or bottom 52, movable perpendicularly to conveyor 1 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 7). The elevator floor 52 is fastened to the end of a rod 53 which extends perpendicularly to conveyor 1 towards the internal side of it, that is, opposite to container 8. Rod 53 is mounted and guided slidably in an extension 54 of the respective element 101 and has a roller 55 at its end opposite to bottom 52. In the extension 54 of conveyor element 101, there is housed a helical spring 56 which acts on rod 53 and tends to retract the respective bottom 52 upwardly into the corresponding compartments 108, 208, 308 of the container 8. The elevators 52 of the three compartments 108, 208, 308 are separate and are moved independently from one another.

Each container 8 is housed in a cage 57 or similar frame which is mounted and guided slidably on the respective conveyor element 101 for movement in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor. Cage 57 has a covering 157 which closes the open external side of the respective container 8 and has a slit 58 which extends transversally to the conveyor. The length of slit 58 is substantially equal to the transversal extension of each compartment 108, 208 and 308 and is consequently substantially equal to the length of a cigarette S. The width of slit 58 corresponds substantially to the width of the inlet of a compartment 108, 208 and 308 of container 8, in other words, it is substantially equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of a cigarette S.

Each cage '57 is articulated, that is, moved relative to the chain by means of a pair of oscillating arms 59, 60 journalled at points 159 and 160, to the respective conveyor element 101 and at points 259, 260 on cage 57 to constitute an articulated parallelogram. One of the oscillating arms, for example 59, is integral with a lever 359 carrying a roller 61 at its end. Roller 61 rides on a continuous profiled cam 74, causing arm 59 to oscillate around its fulcrum 159, moving cage 57 forward and backward on conveyor element 101 in order to bring and adjust slit 58 to the inlet of one or the other compartment 108, 208, and 308. The cages 57 are connected to each other by flexible elements 62 which allow for the reciprocating motions but prevent falling of articles therebetween.

As indicated in the aforementioned application, the containers pass adjacent a feeding device 9, where a neatly arranged group of cigarettes is introduced into each container 8 and the three compartments 108, 208, 308 are filled with the respective preset number of superimposed cigarettes. Device 9 comprises a cigarette loading hopper which extends along a section of the conveyor and is subdivided in its lower part into three sections 110, 210, 310. Hopper 10 consists of a box, open at the top, whose width is slightly greater than the cigarette length. Therefore, when introduced into hopper 10, cigarettes S. dispose themselves parallel to each other and their ends lying into two vertical planes determined by the parallel flanks of hopper 10. Sections 110, 210, 310 of the hopper 10 are obtained from the hopper itself by means of triangular partitions 63 or the like.

The bottom of each of the three sections 110, 210, 310 of the hopper consists of a plurality of individual distributing channels 11 substantially arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction of conveyor 1. A certain number of superimposed cigarettes gets into each of these channels 11. The top inlets of distributing channels 11 are delimited by rollers 64, arranged equidistantly in a substantially horizontal plane and impressed with a rotary oscillating motion, that is, a reciprocate motion, around their axis, whose amplitude can be adjusted in accordance with the diameter of cigarettes S. These rollers 64 facilitate the cigarette descent into sections 110, 210, 310 of hopper 10 and help them enter the distributing channels 11.

According to the present invention, each distributing channel 11 is provided with a pair of shoe-shaped hooks 65 spaced at a fixed distance between each other, transverse to conveyor 1 below its outlet to retain the stack of superimposed cigarettes S. within the distributing channel 11. Hooks 65 extend from the rear edge of the respective distributing channel 11 and forward in the direction F of motion of the conveyor. The distance between the front edge of the outlet of each distributing channel 11 and the hooks 65 is substantially equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of a cigarette. The rear portion 66 of each hook 65 is arcuated and joined to the front edge of the outlet of the preceding distributing channel 11 (FIGS. 1 to By preference, the upper surface of hooks 65 is slightly inclined upwardly, as clearly shown on FIGS. 3 to 5, and the bottom cigarette S. of each distributing channel 11 sits in the rounded part of the joint between hooks 65 and the rear wall of the respective distributing channel 11. To ensure the correct positioning of the lowermost cigarette of each distributing channel 11, one or more suction holes, as detailed on FIGS. 3 to 5, can be provided in the upper surface of hooks 65, in the area of their rounded joint with the rear frame of the distributing channel 11.

Cage 57 of each container 8 is provided on the outside of its covering 157 with a device for removing cigarettes S from the distributing channel 11 and for introducing them into the respective compartments 108, 208, 308, comprising a plurality of extracting teeth 68 provided at the rear edge of transversal slit 58. These teeth 68 are pivotally fastened in pairs to two pins 69, coaxial and transversal to the conveyor and are connected with each other by a bridge 70 forming a single comb member 68, oscillating around the axis of pins 69. These extracting teeth 68 are also offset in relation to the shoe-shaped hooks 65 of distributing channels in such a way that when they pass under hopper each hook 65 is between two of extracting teeth 68.

On the front edge of slit 58, opposite the comb member, is located a pair of gauge stops 71 fastened to the free end of a spring elastic strip 72 which is fixed at its other end to the top of cage 57. The elastic strip 72 maintains the corresponding pair of gauge stops 71 normally up in front of the associated pair of extracting teeth 68, as illustrated on FIGS. 4 and 5.

As the conveyor moves in the area adjacent the hopper 10, each of the rollers 55 located at the end of arms 53 supporting the elevator floors 52 in each of the compartments 108, 208, and 308 rides on a continuous profiled cam 173, 273 and 373 corresponding respectively to the individual compartments. The roller 60 controlling the cage 57 rides on cam 74. Cams 173, 273, 373 and 74 are so designed that before a container begins its travel under hopper 10, bottoms 52 of the three compartments 108, 208 and 308 are raised to a distance beneath the top of the compartment corresponding at least to the diameter of a cigarette (for instance, as shown on the right side of FIG. 2) while cage 57 is moved to a position (left on FIGS. 2 to 5) wherein its upper slit 58 coincides with the inlet of the first compartment 108. The extracting teeth 68 which are mounted on the cage are therefore in the area of the rear inlet of the first compartment. The remaining inlets to the second and third compartments are consequently closed by the covering 157. The extracting teeth 68 are raised about their axis 69 and their bridge 70 stands on covering 157 of cage 57, as illustrated in FIGS. 35.

In this condition, when container 8 makes its passage under the first distributing channel 11 of hopper 10, each pair of movable gauge stops 71 meets at first one of the downwardly protruding hooks 65 and are lowered by them, thus passing resiliently under hooks 65 (FIG. 3) and then trip up, due to the effect of springs 72, as soon as they go passed hooks 65 to disengage from them (FIG. 4). At this moment, the extracting teeth 68, on passing in pairs at the side of each hook 65, strikes the lowermost cigarette S resting on hook 65 and pushes it forward beyond the front end of the hook 65 and sliding it out of its grasp. The cigarette falls by gravity through slit 58 of cage 57 into the underlying first compartment 108 of the container.

Under high speed motion of the conveyor 1, wherein gravity alone may prove to be insufficient to ensure the dropping of the cigarettes into compartment in the very short time available, the present device provides that the cigarette is forced to enter container 8 due to the action of the descending arcuated back 66 of the pair of successive hooks 65. Because the cigarette meets back 66 during the further forward motion of container 8, it is caused to slide on it downwardly, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Furthermore, the cigarette picked from hooks 65 by extracting teeth 68 cannot jump forward past slit 58 of cage 57-, because it is held back by gauge stops 71 which move upwardly away from hook 65 in front of the cigarette immediately before the cigarette is struck by extracting teeth 68.

The height from which the cigarette drops into container 8 is limited by the elevator bottom 52 of compartment 108 to such a distance that the cigarette cannot dispose itself in an inclined position within compartment 108. The removal of the cigarette from hooks 65 by extracting teeth 68 causes the stacks of cigarettes S remaining in the hopper to descent into distributing channel 11, whereby the cigarette directly above the removed one moves automatically into the position occupied by the latter and stands on the pair of hooks 65. In the last section of its free dropping, said successive cigarette is sucked by holes 57 which determine its very quick and correct positioning. The shape of the upper surface of hooks 65, slightly salient in the direction of motion F of chain 1, prevents, even if there is no suction, the forward dropping of the cigarette which stands on hooks 65. The repeated removal of the cigarettes from hooks 65 determines the continuous descent of the cigarettes from hopper 10 into distributing channel 11 since the cigarette descending speed is proportional to the frequency at which the cigarettes are removed. It is evident that this frequency can be very high, on account of the short distance, equal substantially to a cigarette diameter, which the cigarette next to be picked one must cover in order to reach the resting position on hooks 65.

The above illustrated cigarette removal operation is repeated at each of the distributing channels 11 of the first section 110 of hopper 10, while container 8 passes adjacent said section. From each distributing channel 11 of this first section 110 of hopper 10, one cigarette at a time is removed by the extracting teeth 68 associated to container 8, and all the removed cigarettes drop one after the other into the same first compartment 108 of container 8. Bottom 52 of compartment 108 moves down progressively in accordance with the forward motion of container 8, due to the action of spring 56 on roller 55 and as a result of the respective cam 173 which has a descending contour, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 2. Therefore, at the end of the first group of distributing channels 11, corresponding to the first section 110 of hopper 10, the first compartment 108 will have the complete preset number of cigarettes. It is also clear that the number of distributing channels at the bottom of the first section 110 of hopper 10 corresponds to the number or cigarettes which must be fed to the first compartment 108 (eight in the illustrated case).

At the end of the first hopper section 110, before container 8 begins its travel under the second section 210, the roller lever 359, moves the oscillating arm 59, as a result of a step in the respective cam 74. In this way, cage 57 is moved into a position, wherein slit 58 is above the inlet of the second compartment 208 of the container, while the inlets of the other two compartments 108, 308 are covered by covering 157. Thereby extracting teeth 68 and movable gauge stops 71 located in front of them become positioned in the area of the inlet of second compartment 208. Consequently, while container 8 passes under the second section 210, one cigarette at a time is picked up from each distributing channel 11 of section 10, by the same extracting teeth 68, in order to progressively fill said compartment, in the same manner as described for the first compartment. Also in this case bottom 52 of second compartment 208 moves down progressively, as a result of a descending section of respective cam 273, in order to clear gradually the space for the picked up cigarettes. In the illustrated embodiment, the second compartment 208 of container 8 receives nine cigarettes, whereby the second section 210 of hopper 10 has nine distributing channels 11.

At the end of the second hopper, section 210, another step in cam 74, acting on roller lever 359 causes cage 57 to move in a position wherein slit 58 as well as extracte ing teeth 68 and movable gauge stops 71 associated with said slit, move to the inlet of the third compartment 308. Consequently, while container 8 passes under the successive third section 310 of hopper 10, the third com partment 310 is filled progressively through the picking up of a cigarette at a time from each of the distributing channels 11 of said third section 310 of the hopper, with simultaneous and progressive lowering of bottom 52 of the third compartment 310 as a result of the descending section of the respective cam 373. The third section 310 of hopper 10 has once again eight distributing channels 11, since eight cigarettes must be introduced in the third compartment 308 of container 8.

At the end of the third section 310 of hopper 10, all of the three compartments 108, 208, and 308 are filled with the preset number of cigarettes. Cage 57 of container 8 is then moved, as a result of a last step of cam 74 acting (with roller lever 359 to a position wherein its covering 157 closes the inlets of all the compartments 108, 208 and 308 of container 8, as illustrated on the left part of FIG. 1.

Each displacement of cage 57 in relation to its associated container 8 occurs at a place where the fixed elastic strip 75 is provided. The strips 75 are mounted to the hopper so as to be located over the inlets of compartments 108, 208 and 308 and achieve in such manner the pushing downward of any cigarettes which may not have been completely introduced into the compartments, thus preventing the cigarettes from dislodging as a result of shaking and shock.

From the above, it appears evident that all the successive containers 8 of chain 1, on passing adjacent feeder 6 9, will be filled with the preset neatly arranged group of cigarettes S. If, for any reason, it is desired to avoid the filling of one of the containers 8, all there is to do is to lower extracting teeth 68 associated to it, to a position wherein they do not interfere with the cigarettes standing on hooks and consequently they do not pick up said cigarettes. For this purpose, the comb, consisting of extracting teeth 68 has a roller 76, in the path of which there can be positioned a stop member to cause the extracting teeth 68 to oscillate downward around their fulcrum 69,

causing them to enter into a position substantially parallel to covering 157 of cage 57. In this downward and inactive position the extracting comb 68 is held and locked by a jogging positioner 77, of the spring ball type, as illustrated in FIG. 6, while bridge 70 moves up above covering 157 of cage 57. To bring extracting comb 68 back into the position wherein it picks the cigarettes from books 65, bridge 70 is pushed downward by means of movable member (not illustrated) which is introduced into the trajectory of the lifted bridge.

In operation, the present device provides an effective, safe, but highly fast feeding and ordering mechanism, with which high packaging rates may be obtained with relatively low conveyor speed and minimum handling of cigarettes, or similar articles. Consequently, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiment disclosed, but since numerous modifications and arrangements may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, limitations thereof should be defined only within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic feeding and ordering device for rodlike articles for use in a packaging machine having an endless conveyor on which is carried a plurality of containers for receiving said articles and a hopper having a plurality of serially arranged channels adapted to contain a stack of articles superimposed one upon another for distributing a plurality of said articles to said container comprising support means having at least one hook member mounted at the end of said channels extending from the rear edge of said channels forward in the direction of motion of said conveyor and being spaced from the forward edge of the channels to permit an article to be removed from therebetween, and means mounted on each of said containers for removing an article from each of said support means and causing it to drop into a container moving past the channel.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the hooks have an arcuated back which is joined to the front of the lower outlet of the preceding distributing channel thus forming a descending surface for guiding the article picked up from the hook of the preceding distributing channel.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which the upper surface of hooks on which the lower article of the respective distributing channel rests is slightly salient in the direction of movement of the conveyor.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the surface of each hook on which the lower article of the respective distributing channel rests is provided with at least one suction hole and a source of suction to hold said article thereon.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means for removing the articles comprise two or more extracting teeth interspaced transversally in relation to the conveyor and offset in relation to the hooks.

6. A device according to claim 4- wherein the extracting teeth are mounted to pivot about an axis transversal to the conveyor moved at will into a raised and active position.

7. ,A device according to claim 6 including vertical movable stop means positioned a predetermined distance in front of said extracting teeth to prevent the forward movement of said article when engaging said teeth.

8. A device according to claim 7 wherein the extracting teeth are mounted in the area of the rear edge of slit while the movable stops facing the extracting teeth are mounted in the area of the front edge of said slit.

9. An automatic feeding and ordering device for rodlike articles for use in a packaging machine having an endless conveyor on which is carried a plurality of containers for receiving said articles and a hopper having a plurality of serially arranged channels for distributing a plurality of said articles to said container comprising means to subdivide each container into at least two compartments each capable of containing a stack of superimposed articles positioned parallel to the bottom of the container and transverse to the conveyor and each compartment having a movable bottom which moves down progressively during the filling of the compartment, support means coupled to the end of each of said channels for removably supporting said articles thereon and means movably coupled to each of said containers for removing an article from each of said support means and causing it to drop into a container moving past the channel.

10. The device according to claim 8 wherein said movable bottoms are controlled through a continuous and profiled cam.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1932 Vogt 53-163 X 6/1934 Podel 53-313 X 3/1935 Neff 53-1511 X 7/1944 Bell 53-313 X 3/1958 Loveridge 53-163 5/1958 Stuart 53-246 X 4/1960 Pollmann 53-148 X 9/1961 =Horgan 53-148 X 7/1967 Knudsen 53-313 12/1962 Linda 53-124 5/1969 Schubert 53-148 X Germany.

WAYNE A. MORSE, Jr., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

